Oleksandr Usyk risking 'golden ticket' to heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua
Usyk
“I am surprised that Usyk has taken the fight, considering his mandatory position, he has the golden ticket to Joshua!” declared Eddie Hearn.
Oleksandr Usyk will make his second heavyweight appearance against seasoned Brit Dereck Chisora in his next scheduled fight.
Originally scheduled for May 23, it remains to be seen what date we will see this fight due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Ukrainian champion has it all to do at heavyweight and this is certainly a dangerous fight. Especially considering Chisora has found a second wind in the latter stages of his career under the guidance of former heavyweight titlist David Haye.
However, the Matchroom promoter claimed Usyk taking the fight is an example of the type of fighter he is. “He’s got the golden ticket to Joshua but he’s continuously looking to test himself,” he told Boxing365.
The Matchroom promoter took time to praise the 2018 WBSS winner’s career thus far, being especially impressed with his time at 200-pounds, which saw him beat three unbeaten champions on their home turf.
“There has been no other fighter who has consistently gone into people’s backyards to do that, so it’s a real treat to have him at the 02 arena “He is a genius, his footwork is incredible, the shot selection - everything.”
Usyk is the WBO mandatory challenger and a win here against Chisora cements his shot at the champion, who is Anthony Joshua. ‘AJ’ himself is preparing to face IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
As it stands, the fight will take place on June 20 but due to Premier League fixtures likely to extend into the summer because of COVID-19, Hearn confirmed the back-up date is July 25.
Any chance of a Joshua-Usyk showdown will more than likely take place towards the back-end of this year or the beginning of 2021.
First, Usyk has to come through a game Chisora who has impressive wins over Carlos Takam Artur Szpilka and David Price; a win for Usyk would put the heavyweight division on red-alert.
“This is one of the reasons he wants to do it, because if he wins he’ll be in a great position to go on to become a major name in the heavyweight division,” Hearn said.
“He’s already a global star but this would take his value through the roof.”
The fight will take place on Sky Sports Box Office, the third scheduled PPV in seven weeks with Dillian Whyte vs Alexander Povetkin and Joshua-Pulev the other two in May and June, respectively.
Hearn believes the fight between the pair is that of a transparent affair. He added: “You’ve got the footwork and the skill of Usyk against the brawn, the tenacity and the power of Dereck Chisora, he has to go in there and make it uncomfortable for him and he is very good at doing that.”
